# Heat Pump FAQs London: Cost, Grant and Noise > Straight answers to the heat pump questions London homeowners ask: cost from £4,990 after the grant, the £7,500 grant, radiators, noise, planning, servicing and warranty. *Green Electro Heating — https://electro-heating.co.uk/heat-pump-faqs/. Verbatim from the page; this is the same content, not a summary.* --- # Heat pump FAQs for London homes Straight answers, before anyone visits. The 28 questions homeowners ask us most, answered by the engineers who fit them. Every price is from our own 2026 quotations. Cost and the grantWill it suit my home?The installationLiving with a heat pumpServicing and warrantyAbout Green Electro Heating Topics Cost and the grant*6*Will it suit my home?*6*The installation*5*Living with a heat pump*4*Servicing and warranty*4*About Green Electro Heating*3* Still have a question? Ask the engineers who fit them, not a call centre. or call 020 3837 0778 ## Cost and the grant 6 questions ### How much does a heat pump cost to install in London? Our ten domestic heat pump quotations of 2026 came to £12,490 to £20,275 before the grant, so £4,990 to £12,775 after the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant. The size of the house, the radiators and where the outdoor unit goes make the difference. [See the ten real quotations](https://electro-heating.co.uk/cost-for-heat-pump-and-installation/) ### How does the £7,500 grant work? We apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme voucher and redeem it after the installation, so it comes off your invoice. You never pay it and claim it back. [Check if you qualify](https://electro-heating.co.uk/heat-pump-grant-eligibility-london/) ### Do I qualify for the grant? You need to own the property in England or Wales, have a valid EPC with no outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation, and be replacing a fossil fuel system such as gas, oil, LPG or electric heating. New builds and social housing are excluded. We check it for you at the survey. [Grant eligibility in full](https://electro-heating.co.uk/heat-pump-grant-eligibility-london/) ### Can I get more than £7,500? Yes, if your home is off the gas grid and you are replacing oil or LPG heating: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £9,000 towards an air source heat pump for applications made until 31 March 2027. [The £9,000 grant for oil and LPG homes](https://electro-heating.co.uk/heat-pump-grant-oil-lpg-homes-london/) ### Is there VAT on a heat pump? No. Energy-saving materials installed in homes are zero-rated until 31 March 2027, and every heat pump quotation we issued this year shows VAT at £0. ### Is the survey really free? Yes. No charge, no deposit and nothing to sign. We measure the heat loss room by room and send a fixed, itemised written price, and that is the price you pay. [Get a quick estimate first](https://electro-heating.co.uk/heat-pump-estimate-in-london/) ## Will it suit my home? 6 questions ### Will a heat pump work in an old Victorian house? Yes, and we fit them in exactly those houses. Solid walls mean a higher heat loss, which means a bigger unit and more radiator upgrades, so the installation costs more than in an insulated new build. That is an honest trade-off, not a reason it cannot be done. [See houses we have fitted](https://electro-heating.co.uk/our-projects/) ### Do I need new radiators for a heat pump? Some of them, usually not all. A heat pump runs at a lower flow temperature than a gas boiler, typically 45 to 50 degrees rather than 70, so radiators that were already marginal need to be bigger. The survey shows exactly which rooms; on our quotations a larger radiator is £415 to £490 fitted. ### Does a heat pump work when it is cold outside? Yes. An air source heat pump takes heat from outdoor air even below freezing, and we size it from the heat loss survey for a cold winter's day, so the house stays warm without a backup boiler. ### Do I need planning permission for a heat pump? On a house, usually not: an installation meeting the Class G conditions is permitted development and needs no application. In a conservation area the outdoor unit cannot go on a wall or roof slope fronting a highway, which in practice means the rear. Flats and listed buildings are different, and we tell you at the survey. [Planning rules in London](https://electro-heating.co.uk/heat-pump-planning-permission-london/) ### Can I have a heat pump in a flat? Often, yes. It needs a place for the outdoor unit, such as a garden, balcony or flat roof, and the freeholder's consent where the lease asks for it. The survey tells you whether your flat works before you spend anything. ### Is an air source heat pump the same as air conditioning? No. An air source heat pump is air-to-water: it heats water for your radiators, underfloor heating and hot water cylinder, it replaces your boiler and it qualifies for the grant. It does not cool your rooms. [Air conditioning, if you want cooling](https://electro-heating.co.uk/air-conditioning-installation-london/) ## The installation 5 questions ### How long does a heat pump installation take? Two to three days for a typical house: the old boiler out, the heat pump and cylinder in, commissioned and certified. ### What happens at the survey? We measure every room, check your EPC and tell you on the day whether the grant applies. Then you get a fixed written price: the heat pump, the cylinder and any radiators that need upsizing, itemised, with the grant already taken off. ### Do I need a hot water cylinder? Yes. A heat pump heats a stored hot water cylinder rather than heating water on demand like a combi boiler. We size it to the household, usually 250 or 300 litres on our quotations, and find the space for it at the survey. ### What happens to my old boiler? We take it out. Disconnecting a gas boiler is gas work, and we are Gas Safe registered, so it is made safe in the same job with no second contractor. [Our certifications](https://electro-heating.co.uk/property-certification/) ### Where does the outdoor unit go? Usually at the side or rear of the house, on a solid base with room for air to flow. Before it goes in we check its noise against your neighbour's nearest window, as MCS requires. ## Living with a heat pump 4 questions ### How noisy is a heat pump? Typically 40 to 50 decibels at one metre, about the level of a quiet conversation, and a low steady hum rather than the on-off of a boiler flue. It has to meet a noise limit at the nearest neighbouring window, assessed under MCS 020. ### Will a heat pump lower my energy bills? It depends on the house, the tariff and the system it replaces, so we do not promise a saving. The survey gives you the expected running cost for your home before you decide. [Heat pump running costs](https://electro-heating.co.uk/heat-pump-running-costs-london/) ### How long do heat pumps last? An air source heat pump that is serviced every year commonly lasts 15 to 20 years, much like a good boiler. On our quotations the manufacturer warranty is 7 years on the heat pump. ### Can solar panels and a battery work with a heat pump? Yes, and we fit all three. Solar panels make electricity the heat pump and the house can use, and a battery stores it for the evening. We design them together when you want both. [Solar panels and battery storage](https://electro-heating.co.uk/solar-panels-battery-storage-london/) ## Servicing and warranty 4 questions ### How often should a heat pump be serviced? Once a year. Manufacturers ask for an annual service by a qualified engineer to keep the warranty valid, and a serviced heat pump runs more efficiently and fails less often. [Servicing and repairs](https://electro-heating.co.uk/air-source-heat-pump-repair-london/) ### What warranty comes with a heat pump? On our quotations: 7 years on the heat pump, 25 years on the cylinder's stainless steel. We register the warranty in your name at handover. ### Do you repair heat pumps you did not install? Yes. A large part of our repair work is on systems fitted by other companies. We tell you what is wrong and what it costs to put right before any work starts. [Heat pump repairs](https://electro-heating.co.uk/air-source-heat-pump-repair-london/) ### My heat pump has stopped. What should I check first? Look at the controller for an error code and take a photo of it, check the pressure gauge on the system, and make sure the isolator next to the outdoor unit is on. Then call us on 020 3837 0778 or send the photo on WhatsApp. ## About Green Electro Heating 3 questions ### Are you MCS certified? Yes. Electro Heating Limited, which trades as Green Electro Heating, is MCS certified under registration NIC-601634, and also a member of the Renewable Energy Consumer Code, NICEIC approved and Gas Safe registered. [Every certification explained](https://electro-heating.co.uk/property-certification/) ### Which heat pump makes do you fit? We are approved installers for Vaillant, Samsung, Daikin and Mitsubishi Electric, and we recommend the make and size that suit your house at the survey. ### Can I see heat pumps you have installed? Yes. Our projects page shows real installations across London with photos of each job, and several customers have filmed a short review with us. [Our projects](https://electro-heating.co.uk/our-projects/) ## The rest is answered at your house Book the free survey, or call 020 3837 0778. You get a fixed, itemised written price, and we apply for the grant. Call 020 3837 0778 [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/447875564437?text=Hi%20Green%20Electro%20Heating%2C%20I%20have%20a%20question%20about%20a%20heat%20pump%3A%20) Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm, Sunday closed